Spinach Ham Quiche
Serves 4
This traditional French quiche makes a great first course for a dinner, although it needs little more than a green salad and a bottle of wine to make a fine supper on its own. The ratio of cream and egg yolks used here ensures a filling more like a creamy custard than a frittata or omelette.
When seasoning various components of the filling, keep in mind that the cheese and ham are both quite salty.
Ingredients #
- 1/2 recipe Pâte Brisée
- A 9" tart pan with fluted sides and a removable bottom
- 1 sheet of baking parchment
- Dried beans or pie weights
- Baking spray
- 1 egg, whisked with 1 tsp cold water
- A pastry brush
- 3/4 lbs fresh spinach (generally 2 bunches)
- 1/4 lb sliced ham
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
- A bit of grated nutmeg
Instructions #
Blind-bake the tart shell: #
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Carefully butter and flour the interior surface of the tart tin. Roll out the Pâte Brisée and carefully line the tin with the dough. Use a fork to prick holes evenly across the bottom. Crumple the baking parchment and smooth it back out. Spray one side with baking spray and line the dough with the paper, greased side down. Fill the paper with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake the weighted crust for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust begin to brown and pull away from the sides. Remove from the oven, carefully lift out the parchment filled with beans or pie weights, and let the crust cool briefly.
Use a pastry brush to brush the entire inner surface with egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until golden and crisp, another 15 minutes at least.
Prepare the filling #
Strip off and discard the stems from the spinach. Rinse the leaves very well in a few changes of water (spinach often carries a surprising amount of grit from the soil it grows in). Drain and chop.
Cut the ham into strips roughly 1/4 inch by 1 inch (or whatever small shape you like). Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a frying pan and add the ham. Cook over medium heat until the ham begins to brown. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the second tbsp of butter to the same pan, return to medium-high heat, and add the spinach once the butter foams and subsides. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted completely and the moisture has cooked off. Season lightly to taste with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Combine the egg yolks and cream in a bowl, and season lightly with salt, pepper, and (optionally) a small pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir in the cheese and the ham.
Assemble and bake #
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Distribute the spinach in an even layer over the bottom of the pastry. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, remove the rim from the tart pan and transfer the quiche to a serving platter. Serve warm.